The International Skating Union (ISU) announced Tuesday that it is banning Russian and Belarusian figure skaters from events.

The announcement comes a day after the International Olympic Committee recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be permitted to participate in international competitions due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russia is a powerhouse in figure skating. The Russian Olympic Committee won gold in the team event at the Beijing Olympics. However, it's unclear whether the team will actually receive the gold medal after a member of the team tested positive for a banned substance.

Russian women also won gold and silver in the women's event.

The impact of the ban could be felt immediately. The World Figure Skating Championships are scheduled to begin on March 21.

Russia would have been the favorite in multiple events.

The International Skating Union (ISU) will hold a vote at its Congress in June on a proposal to raise the minimum age for competitors to 17, the governing body told CNN on Friday.

The sport has been at the center of attention after 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to continue competing at this year's Winter Games despite failing a drugs test in December 2021.

But Beijing 2022 isn't the first time that figure skating has been at the center of controversy.

1902: Madge Syers skates into a man's world

Florence Madelin "Madge" Syers shocked the world when she became the first woman to compete in the 1902 World championships.

Judges wanted to ban her from competing, but no rule specified the gender of participants. They were forced to let her skate and Syers earned second place behind Ulrich Salchow.

Soon after, officials banned female athletes, claiming their skirts were too long and the judges couldn't see their footwork. Syers quickly found a solution: a skirt that ended mid-calf.

She went on to win the British Nationals in 1903 and 1904 and the women's World Championships in 1906 and 1907. Figure skating made its debut in the 1908 London Olympics and Syers won gold in the women's singles and bronze in the mixed pairs, where she skated alongside her husband, making her the first woman to take home two medals in just one Olympic Games.

1988: Modesty and "The Katarina Rule"

At the 1988 Winter Olympics hosted in Calgary, German figure skater Katerina Witt wore a costume that a male Canadian coach, Peter Dunfield, claimed was "bizarre and indecent ... The real provocative side is the back. But in the front, you've even got cleavage."

According to the New York Times, Dunfield also suggested that Witt might be trying to win over the judges with a revealing costume.

Witt defended her choice, saying the costume was appropriate for her music, which was from the Broadway show "Jerry's Girls."

The controversy caused the ISU to adopt a new dress code: all women were required to wear skirts that covered their hips and bottom, as well as cover their midriff.

This strict rule was relaxed in 2003, but the ISU still requires all clothing to be "modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition."

1994: Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding

Nancy Kerrigan was the victim of a plot to kneecap her -- literally -- prior to the 1994 Olympics. Kerrigan's rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly was involved in the plot.

Gillooly was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the attack and Harding received three years of probation and was fined $100,000 for conspiring to hinder prosecution.

Kerrigan was still selected for the Olympic team despite her injury and went on to earn a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic in Lillehammer.

Harding maintained her innocence throughout the games, but on March 16, just a few weeks after closing ceremonies, she pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution.

A few months later the U.S. Figure Skating Association revoked her gold medal at the 1994 national championships and banned her from the ice for life.

Subsequently, the scandal was immortalized in the 2017 drama, "I, Tonya" starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney.

Asked by The Boston Globe if she was bothered by Hollywood's portrayal of Harding, Kerrigan said "It's not really part of my life."

"As you say, I was the victim," she said. "Like, that's my role in this whole thing. That's it."

1998: Surya Bonaly backflips and judges flip out

The day before Surya Bonaly was set to perform her free skate at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, she pulled a muscle in her right leg, though knowing that these Winter Games were her last, the French star was committed to competing.

In a 2016 interview with Radiolab, Bonaly recounted her performance, saying by the end of the program the pain in her leg was unbearable and she couldn't perform the two triples she had left in her routine.

But Bonaly "had a special thing in her back pocket" to wow the crowd, performing an illegal backflip landing on just her left blade.

It didn't go down well with judges, who handed Bonaly a score that dropped her from sixth to 11th place.

In recent years, fans have questioned if race might have played a part in her career, though both Bonaly and former judges deny any bias.

"We are all humans, we all have different styles. And we can create a different personality of character on ice," Bonaly told CNN's Amy Woodyatt on Friday.

"You have to find your own style, and you have to save it to give it ... When you watch 20 skaters doing the same thing over and over, I mean, what's about it?

"Skating is called free skating, so supposed to be free, but it's not really free, entirely free because there's rules to follow and if you don't, you're in big trouble.

Bonaly told CNN that her routines were sometimes penalized by judges.

"I remember back in the days I used to like jumps and combos, and if I will do one extra one jump after a combo because I felt like "oh, triple, triple and a double. You actually got in trouble because you did too much of that," she said.

"I think that judges should be more open minded, to be able to receive and see things coming from different places -- a different way of what has been brought on the ice."

1998: Judging scandal exposed

At the 1998 Olympics, Jean Senft -- a Canadian skating judge -- surreptitiously recorded a conversation with a fellow Ukrainian judge, Yuri Balkov, where they openly discussed how they would place ice dancers before they had even competed.

Senft had previously approached officials with her concerns about corruption among her colleagues but was told she needed proof.

After playing the tape at an ISU hearing, Balkov was banned for one year. Soon after, Senft also suffered a six-month suspension for allegedly favoring a Canadian pair, though she claims the suspension was retaliation against her.

"The athletes are not competing on a fair playing field. This isn't sport. Somebody had to get proof," Senft told CBC News in 2000.

After the scandal, small reforms were made to judging requirements and deductions.

2002: "Skategate"

After Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier produced a flawless free skate at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, the gold medal was awarded to the Russian duo: Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, who had enough technical errors in their performance to call the result into question.

When the judges met to defend the results, French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne claimed that the French Skating Federation president, Didier Gailhauguet, had directed her to rank the Russian pair first.

Soon evidence emerged of a quid pro quo between Russian and French votes in the pairs figure skating and ice dancing events.

Le Gougne and Gailhauguet were suspended for three years and there was an overhaul of the judging system in figure skating, with strict protocols eliminating the room for subjective judgment.

"Meddling," a four-part series was released last month on Peacock chronicling the scandal.

2010: Russian duo's performance sparks cultural backlash

Reigning world champions in ice dancing, the Russian duo Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin performed a dance inspired by Aboriginal culture at both the Russian and European Championships.

The pair skated to music that was largely chants and didgeridoos while wearing red loincloths, bodysuits with white markings and make up that appeared to be brown face.

Their performance sparked outrage amongst Aboriginal activists in Australia who claimed the routine was culturally exploitative and inauthentic.
"Accurate or not, you have to be sensitive to the people you are representing," Jef Billings, a renowned designer of skating costumes, told The New York Times in 2010.

"At the turn of the last century, minstrel shows were acceptable. Times have changed."

The Russian duo's coach, Natalia Linichuk, was shocked at the outrage, denying any wrongdoing or ill-intent and claiming that the dance was not based on anyone Aboriginal culture.

Bev Manton, chairwoman of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, expressed her anger in the Sydney Morning Herald: "From an Aboriginal perspective, this performance is offensive. It was clearly not meant to mock Aboriginal culture, but that does not make it acceptable to Aboriginal people."

2014: US Skating Federation team selection questioned

Mirai Nagasu took home the bronze medal at the 2014 U.S. national championships but was passed over for the Sochi Olympic team in favor of fourth-place finisher, Ashley Wagner.

The U.S. Skating Federation had only ignored the national championship results four times until then, in all cases because of injuries that prevented the selected athletes from competing.

The federation defended its choice, citing Wagner's higher global rankings and Nagasu's inconsistent record over the past year.

However, Jeff Yang of the Wall Street Journal found it hard to ignore the aesthetics of the choice, calling Wagner a "golden girl" with her blonde hair and blue eyes.

His claims had a ring of truth for some fans, especially when looking at previous treatment of Asian American skaters; including one media headline claiming, "American beats out Kwan." Kwan being Michelle Kwan of the U.S. team, who was born in Torrance, California.

Four years later Nagasu won a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Nagasu also landed a triple axel -- one of the most challenging jumps in figure skating. In doing so she accomplished a feat that made her the first female American figure skater to nail the triple axel at the Olympics.

At the end of her routine, Nagasu triumphantly threw her hands in the air and a bright, exuberant smile spread across her face.

2022: Kamila Valieva's positive drugs test

In a sample taken in December, prior to the Olympics, 15-year-old Valieva tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, a drug commonly used to treat angina and which experts say can enhance endurance by increasing blood flow to the heart.

However, the result was only analyzed and reported to Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in February. Valieva was then suspended the day after she led the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to gold in the figure skating team event on Feb. 7 when she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in a Winter Olympic Games.

RUSADA lifted her suspension the next day following a hearing. Subsequently, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Olympic Committee and the ISU filed an appeal against the lifting of the ban.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Valieva for competition, saying she would suffer "irreparable harm" if not allowed to compete, citing the "exceptional circumstances" of her being a minor.

Valieva finished in fourth place in the women's individual figure skating event on Thursday, leaving the ice in tears after falling and faltering during jumps in her routine, despite having previously been the favorite to take gold.

Before being cleared to take part in the women's individual figure skating competition, Valieva was suspended by the RUSADA on Feb. 8, although the body lifted her suspension the next day following a hearing.

Russia defended Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva's coach following a free skate that was filled with mistakes.

The 15-year-old, who was allowed to compete after testing positive for a banned substance, was the gold-medal favorite going into the free skate.

However, she made numerous uncharacteristic mistakes, losing her balance on multiple occasions.

As she skated off the ice, obviously disappointed in her performance, she was met with immediate criticism from her coach.

Eteri Tutberidze reportedly told Valieva, "Why did you stop fighting?"

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said the interaction was filled with "tremendous coldness."

In response to those comments, Russia defended Valieva's coaching.

"He does not like the toughness of our coaches, but everyone knows that in elite sports, the coach's toughness is key to the students' victories," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to ESPN.

Valieva finished the competition in fourth place. Russian skaters Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova won the gold and silver. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto earned the bronze.

Related video above: Russian skater Kamila Valieva finishes fourth

The U.S. figure skaters whose Olympic silver medals are being withheld have filed an appeal to have them awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, with a decision expected as soon as Saturday night.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed to The Associated Press that it was hearing the case Saturday evening in Beijing and expected a rapid ruling.

In a letter sent to IOC president Thomas Bach, a copy of which was obtained by AP, attorneys for the skaters said they sought a ruling before Sunday's closing ceremony.

Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event, and the U.S. finished second. Soon after, a positive doping test for the 15-year-old skater was disclosed. CAS allowed her to continue skating at the women's event, but the International Olympic Committee said it would not award medals in any events in which she finished among the top three.

She finished fourth in the women's event — crying as she left the ice, then criticized by her coach after a mistake-filled long program.

This case involves the team event held the previous week. The Russians won the event by a large margin. Japan was third and Canada finished fourth.

The letter sent on behalf of the American runners-up says the IOC's “own rules mandate that a victory ceremony ‘to present medals to the athletes shall follow the conclusion of each sports event.’"

In a meeting earlier this week with the skaters, Bach offered them Olympic torches as something of a holdover memento while the doping case, which could take months, or even years, plays out.

In their letter to Bach, the attorneys said they hoped the IOC would reconsider but that because of the urgency, they were filing the appeal.

U.S. Figure Skating executive director Ramsey Baker sent the AP a statement standing in support of the skaters.

“Having a medal ceremony at an Olympic Games is not something that can be replicated anywhere else, and they should be celebrated in front of the world before leaving Beijing,” Baker said.

The letter to Bach, sent by attorney Paul Greene, who represents athletes in doping and other cases against Olympic authorities, said the IOC president had asked the athletes for their input.

“A dignified medal ceremony from our clients’ vantage point is one in the Medals Plaza as originally planned and afforded to all other medalists,” he wrote.

After Valieva's test became public, Russia's anti-doping agency at first put her on provisional suspension, then lifted the suspension. That triggered the IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency to lead an appeal to CAS, which acted swiftly and said Valieva could still compete.

That did not resolve the larger question about the result from the team competition.

Nine Americans stand to get some sort of medal out of that — either the second-place prize they're aiming to receive this weekend, or a gold that could become theirs if the Russian's are disqualified because of Valieva's doping case.

Because she is 15, Valieva is considered a “protected person” under anti-doping rules, and is not expected to receive a harsh penalty. Her coaches and doctors are being investigated by Russian and world anti-doping authorities.

___

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.

Here's what to expect on Day 14 of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games:

Halfpipe

Even when Eileen Gu's simply taking a celebratory stroll through the halfpipe, she's still so stylish and makes it look so effortless.

The 18-year-old American-born freestyle skier who represents China captured Olympic gold in the women's halfpipe on a breezy and cold Friday morning to become the first action-sports athlete to pick up three medals at the same Winter Games.

With hands on her hips, Gu visualized her first two runs at the top of the Secret Garden halfpipe course. Then, she flawlessly executed her plan. She warmed up with a 93.25 on her first pass before going even higher and bigger to post a 95.25 on her second.

But this was the sort of run Gu visualized all along — a nice relaxed jaunt as the last competitor and with the contest sealed. She had fun with her victory run, too, going big off the walls one last time and bending back her skis — a high-flying, picture-perfect moment to culminate another successful day at her office.

"I feel at peace. I feel grateful. I feel proud," Gu said.

Figure skating

The fallout from Kamila Valieva's nightmarish free skate will likely reverberate through the figure skating world for a while, but there's one more competition left at the Beijing Games — the pairs short program Americans Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc along with Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier are competing.

Curling

The U.S. men had their Olympic title defense end with a semifinal loss to Britain. They still have a chance to win the bronze medal when they face Canada.

Speedskating

The men's 1,000-meter speedskating event kicks off early Friday morning.

Two legal substances used to improve heart function are listed on an anti-doping control form filled out for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva before her drug case at the Olympics erupted, according to documents submitted in her case.

The World Anti-Doping Agency filed a brief in the Valieva case stating that the mention on the form of L-carnitine and Hypoxen, though both legal, undercuts the argument that a banned substance, trimetazidine, might have entered the skater's system accidentally.

Hypoxen, a drug designed to increase oxygen flow to the heart, was a substance the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency recently tried, without success, to get placed on the banned list. L-carnitine, another oxygen-boosting performance enhancer, is banned if injected above certain thresholds. The supplement was the focal point of the doping case involving track coach Alberto Salazar.

Combining those with 2.1 nanograms of trimetazidine, the drug found in Valieva's system after a Dec. 25 test, is “an indication that something more serious is going on,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said.

“You use all of that to increase performance,” he said. “It totally undermines the credibility” of Valieva's defense.

Two people with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press that a brief seen by AP that was filed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in a hearing on Valieva's case was authentic. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the document was not publicly available. WADA did not immediately respond to an email left by AP asking for comment on the brief.

The brief describes Valieva’s mother as arguing that the skater’s grandfather was a regular user of trimetazidine, which would explain how it got into her system.

WADA said while that explanation involves “some form of exposure” to trimetazidine, it is not an argument that she had taken a “contaminated product,” which can be used as a defense.

In addition, WADA said there was no attempt to argue that the legal substances listed on the form were contaminated, either, so “the athlete necessarily cannot meet the criteria to have her” suspension lifted via the contaminated-product rule.

Valieva's positive test came to light after she had led the Russians to a gold medal in the team skating event last week. Russia's anti-doping agency at first suspended her, then lifted the suspension. That led WADA and the IOC to appeal to CAS, which determined Valieva could skate in the women's event that began Tuesday

Because she is 15, she is considered a “protected person” under anti-doping rules and could escape major sanctions. Her coaches and other members of her entourage are subject to automatic investigation and bigger penalties.

The larger case involving the positive test, and resolving whether Russia will get its gold medal, will be decided later. In the meantime, the IOC has said there will be no medals ceremony for events in which Valieva makes the podium. She's a favorite for gold, and was leading after the short program.

Here's what to expect on Day 11 of the Olympics:

Figure skating

After days of off-ice drama, it's finally time for the women's figure skating competition to start.

The saga of Russian star Kamila Valieva moves on to the short program — which she can participate in after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A test that Valieva took in December was flagged for a banned heart medication, but CAS ruled that the 15-year-old Valieva, a "protected athlete" because of her age, can compete.

Even if she wins a medal in this event, it could be taken away later, and the International Olympic Committee has even said if Valieva finishes in the top three, there will be no medal ceremony during the Beijing Games. There will also be no ceremony for the team event won by Valieva and the Russian team earlier.

The short program could go a long way toward indicating whether any of the American women have a good shot at a medal. Two-time U.S. champion Alysa Liu will perform just before Valieva.

Snowboarding

Su Yiming gave host China its second gold medal at Big Air Shougang, matching Eileen Gu with a stunning show in front of fans at the repurposed steel mill and winning the country’s first top prize in Olympic snowboarding.

The 17-year-old child actor-turned-rider followed up his unexpected silver in slopestyle — he would’ve taken gold if not for a judging blunder — by joining Gu in cementing his celebrity status with a big air gold. Gu won the freestyle skiing best-trick contest last week on her final jump, and the celebration briefly broke Chinese social media website Weibo.

Alpine Skiing

The only skier to beat Sofia Goggia in a downhill over the last two seasons beat Sofia Goggia again to win the Olympic gold medal in the event at the Beijing Games.

Corinne Suter, a 27-year-old Swiss skier who injured both of her legs early in the season, edged Goggia by 0.16 seconds.

Goggia hurt her left knee about a month ago but still managed to take the lead by nearly half a second. She let out a lengthy roar after crossing the line and then kissed a television camera.

Goggia has dominated the downhill in recent seasons and would have been the favorite if not for getting injured during a super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo less than a month ago. The 29-year-old Italian partially tore a ligament in her left knee and sustained a minor fracture in that leg, along with tendon damage.

Goggia had won the last eight World Cup downhills she finished, a streak that began in December 2020. But Suter won the last downhill race before the Olympics.

Mikaela Shiffrin, who did not finish her opening runs in either of her initial two events, finished in 18th place, 2.49 behind Suter.

Take Two

Eileen Gu took home another medal from the Beijing Games with a second-place finish in the women’s ski slopestyle competition. That means she could still become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.

Gu’s bid for another gold medal was thwarted by Mathilde Gremaud. The freestyle skier from Switzerland won the event on a bitterly cold and hazy day when temperatures hovered around minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius). Kelly Sildaru of Estonia took home bronze.

Gu, the 18-year-old American-born freestyler who is competing for her mother’s home country of China, won the big air contest last week. She’s also competing in the halfpipe competition.

Sitting in eighth place after two runs, Gu used a strong final run to work her way onto the podium. She couldn’t catch Gremaud, who scored an 86.56 on her second run.

The doping scandal surrounding Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) figure skater Kamila Valieva has rocked the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The 15-year-old Valieva, a breakout star of the Games who helped the ROC take home gold in the figure skating team event, was allowed to compete despite testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine, which is commonly used to treat people with angina.

The failed test only came to light during the Winter Olympics, and it remains unclear if the drug test controversy will see the medal revoked.

The scandal continues to delay the awarding of medals to all three teams -- silver for Team USA and bronze for Team Japan.

Here's a timeline of the events we know so far

Dec. 25, 2021 -- Drug sample is taken from Valieva at the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Jan. 15, 2021 -- Valieva wins 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia.

Feb. 1, 2022 -- Valieva arrives in Beijing for the Winter Olympics.

Feb. 7, 2022 -- Valieva helps ROC win gold in the figure skating team event at Beijing 2022, landing the first ever quadruple jump by a woman in Olympic competition.

Feb. 7, 2022 -- According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), a WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden, confirms an adverse analytical finding in Valieva's sample

(Why Sweden? The Russian Anti-Doping Agency's [RUSADA] laboratory is currently suspended by WADA, hence testing is outsourced and carried out by WADA-accredited laboratories. In this instance, testing was designated to the Stockholm laboratory.)

Feb. 8, 2022 -- According to the International Testing Agency (ITA), a WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm confirms an adverse analytical finding in Valieva's sample.

Feb. 8, 2022 -- Valieva is notified and provisionally suspended by RUSADA.

Feb. 8, 2022 -- The medal ceremony for the figure skating team event is postponed. Later, reports emerge of a failed drugs test by a member of the ROC team.

Feb. 9, 2022 -- Valieva challenges provisional suspension; RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee lifts suspension.

Feb. 10, 2022 -- Valieva trains as normal at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing.

Feb. 11, 2022 -- ITA confirms Valieva failed a test for a banned substance in December; the ITA, on behalf of the IOC, WADA and ISU, say they are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) calling for Valieva's provisional suspension to be reinstated.

Feb. 15, 2022 -- Valieva is due to compete in the women's single skating short program event at the Beijing Games.

Feb. 17, 2022 -- Valieva is due to compete in the women's single skating free skating event at the Beijing Games.

Who are the key players involved?

Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) -- Independent international body established to settle sporting disputes through arbitration.

International Testing Agency (ITA) -- Independent agency in charge of drugs testing during the Beijing Games.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) -- Global independent agency in charge of overseeing drugs testing around the world.

Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) -- Russia's national anti-doping organization affiliated to WADA.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) -- Governing body of all National Olympic Committees worldwide responsible for organizing Summer and Winter Games.

Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) -- National Olympic Committee representing Russia.

International Skating Union (ISU) -- International governing body overseeing competitive ice skating disciplines.

BEIJING, Beijing —

An ongoing legal issue that could affect the medalists in the team figure skating competition at the Beijing Olympics has caused the award ceremony to be delayed, the IOC said Wednesday.

The ceremony to award the Russian team the gold medals, the United States silver and Japan bronze was pulled from its scheduled slot late Tuesday.

Related video above: Tearful Vincent Zhou withdraws from Olympics due to positive COVID test

International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said the reason was a “legal consultation” required with the governing body of skating. Details of the case were not specified.

“We have athletes that have won medals involved,” Adams said at the daily news briefing.

In a one-line statement, the International Skating Union also cited ongoing legal talks.

If any athlete and team were disqualified, an appeal would likely follow to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Canada placed fourth and would be in line to be upgraded.

Some skaters in the men's competition are due to finish their events Thursday and leave China soon after.

“Everyone is doing absolutely everything that the situation can be resolved as soon as possible,” Adams said.

However, he cautioned “as you know, legal issues can sometimes drag on.”

BEIJING —

Nathan Chen stood in the middle of the Olympic rink, bent his arm over his chest and gave a slight bow to the judges, then briskly skated away following his short program during the team competition at the Winter Games.

He might as well have said, "Aw, shucks."

Yet the way the typically reserved Chen felt after Friday's soaring performance at Capital Indoor Arena, and the way the 22-year-old American felt four years ago in Pyeongchang, was about as different as an axel and a lutz.

Related video above: In 2021, Nathan Chen claimed U.S. Figure Skating title for fifth time in a row

He was perfect in Beijing: His massive, opening quad flip to "La Bohème" seemed almost to reach the rafters, his often troublesome triple axel was faultless and the harrowing quad lutz-triple toe loop combination in the middle of the program left him with the second-highest short program score ever in international competition.

He was anything but perfect in Pyeongchang, when a poor short program for the team event bled into a calamitous short program in the individual event, whisking Chen out of medal contention before he felt he'd arrived.

"It's nice to be able to have run-throughs like this," Chen said after helping the Americans take a two-point lead over the heavily favored Russians following the first of three days in the team event. "Whatever you can take from each practice, good or bad, you take with you, and that's the same thing with competition."

He might have learned a lesson from the bad in South Korea, but it was good in Beijing.

Chen has been nearly unbeatable since the Pyeongchang Games, winning three consecutive world championships, running his national title streak to six and topping his biggest rival, two-time defending Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, every time they have stepped on the ice in the same competition.

In fact, Chen's only defeat came at Skate America last fall, when his Olympic teammate Vincent Zhou jumped ahead of him for the gold medal. Chen rebounded by winning Skate Canada with the world's best score for this season.

There's a good chance he could top that mark in Beijing.

His short program during the team event appeared to be flawless, but Chen is the first to admit things can always be even the slightest bit better. He scored 111.71 points, six ahead of reigning Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno of Japan and just eleven-hundredths off Hanyu's world record, yet was still well short of his own score at nationals in January.

Chen's short program there actually topped 115 points, but it wasn't a record because it wasn't an international event.

The timing of his performance Friday was better, though. It lifted the Americans into first place in the team event, where they have taken bronze at the last two Olympics, and sent a charge through the rest of Team USA.

"I watched Nathan kill it," American pairs skater Alexa Knierim said, "and if anything, it gave me a bit of excitement and calmness because I felt like our country collectively is ready."

Knierim and her partner, Brandon Frazier, certainly were. They laid down the best short program of their career together, finishing just behind the world-record score of reigning Olympic silver medalists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China and the reigning world champions, Russians Anastasia Mishina and Alexandr Galliamov.

Meanwhile, in the rhythm dance, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue stamped themselves as medal contenders with a spectacular Janet Jackson-inspired performance that gave the Americans the maximum 10 points in their discipline.

"We have an incredibly strong team and everyone is the most prepared they have ever been," said Madison Chock, who along with ice dance partner Evan Bates are the captains of the U.S. team in Beijing.

They also are expected to sub into the team event for Hubbell and Donohue when it's time for the free dance.

" Our team has great potential and that was demonstrated," Bates said. "I don't necessarily think that we feel surprised to be leading the team event. Looking at the roster, we know we have the potential to bring home the gold medal."

Video above: US Olympians get red carpet send-off to Beijing

Chen's massive performance, coupled with their finishes in pairs and ice dance, leaves the Americans with 28 points heading into the women's short program on Sunday. The Russians are second with 26 points, while China (21), Japan (20) and Italy (18) put themselves in position to contend for the podium in the free skate.

The top five countries after the women's short program advance to the free skate, with the men kicking things off with their program later Sunday. The medals are awarded Monday following the women, pairs and ice dance.

The biggest question now is whether Chen will perform again in the team event or whether the U.S. substitutes him out — as it did in Pyeongchang — and puts veteran Jason Brown or high-flying Zhou in the free skate.

Each nation that advances can make a maximum of two substitutions to its lineup.

"Either way is cool for me," said Chen, brushing aside any thought of resting ahead of the individual competition, which begins immediately after the team event and where he will face Hanyu once again. "We have a really strong team, so we have pieces to play with, and whatever is the strongest piece at the time is the strongest piece at that time."

The 2022 Winter Olympics officially kicks off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, but ahead of that, there’s major action in Beijing happening today. Video above: Can you ace this Olympics quiz?Nathan Chen is one of the favorites at the Games for Team USA. The three-time world champion figure skater is set to hit the ice in the men’s team event in NBC Primetime. Others on his team include ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue and the pair of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier. NBCOlympics.com has a round-up on everything you need to know about figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics here. Other events taking place in Beijing on Thursday include more mixed doubles curling, Alpine skiing training and women’s hockey. The Opening Ceremony will then take place early Friday morning.Freestyle Skiing: USA's Kauf, Giaccio, Soar advance straight to moguls finals We’ll share livestream info for today's events below. But first, here are some highlights from what happened on Wednesday and early Thursday morning on Day -1 at the Olympics.USA's Kauf, Giaccio, Soar advance straight to moguls finals: Americans Jaelin Kauf, Olivia Giaccio and Hannah Soar placed third, fourth and seventh in their qualifying round women's moguls, moving straight to the finals; Jakara Anthony and Perrine Laffont topped the round.Italy defeats Team USA in mixed doubles curling: Italy overcame mistakes to best the U.S. mixed doubles curling team in the second round of play at the 2022 Winter Olympics.U.S. women take down Finland in first game of 2022 Olympics: The U.S. women's hockey team took down Finland in their first game of the 2022 Winter Olympics by a score of 5-2 as both Kendall Coyne Schofield and Alex Carpenter finished the day with a pair of goals each. | RELATED | Daily Olympic Recap: USA tops Finland in women's hockey openerHere are livestreams for notable events happening on Thursday Network Olympic livestreamsWatch USA network coverage of hockey and curling starting at 2 p.m. PT hereWatch NBC primetime coverage of figure skating starting at 8 p.m. PT hereOlympic event livestreamsCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch Sweden vs. Australia at 7:35 p.m ET hereCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch Canada vs. Switzerland at 7:35 p.m ET hereCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch Italy vs. Norway at 7:35 p.m ET hereFigure skating team event Day 1: Watch Team USA take to the ice with coverage starting at 8:55 p.m ET hereAlpine skiing training: Watch men’s downhill at 10 p.m. ET hereHockey women’s prelim: Watch ROC vs. Switzerland at 11:10 p.m ET hereHockey women’s prelim: Watch Denmark vs. China at 11:10 p.m ET hereCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch China vs.Canada at 12:35 a.m ET hereCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch Great Britain vs. Australia at 12:35 a.m. ET hereCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch Sweden vs USA (Vicky Persinger and Chris Plys) at 12:35 a.m. ET hereCurling mixed doubles round robin: Watch the Czech Republic vs. Italy at 12:35 a.m ET hereHow to watch the Winter Olympics' Opening CeremonyThe Opening Ceremony will air live on WLWT and in NBC primetime and Peacock at 6:55 a.m. ET. You can also stream it via NBCOlympics.com and in the NBC Sports app after authentication.Daylong coverage of the Olympics will culminate with NBC's special primetime presentation of the Opening Ceremony from 7:30 p.m. ET on WLWT-TV and Peacock.The NBC broadcast will feature:Performances, pageantry and the Parade of AthletesExtensive coverage of Team USA, including athlete interviews with Johnson and TafoyaDwayne Johnson introducing Team USALeslie Odom Jr. telling the story of the hopes and dreams of Olympians in an opening vignetteUma Thurman narrating a special feature leading into the Parade of AthletesMore 2022 Winter Olympics headlinesMeet the Olympians with ties to Greater Cincinnati competing in BeijingHere's who is qualified for Team USA at the 2022 Winter OlympicsNew faces to watch at the 2022 Winter GamesInternational athletes to watch at the 2022 Winter OlympicsWhat are the new events for the 2022 Winter Olympics?Day-by-day guide to the 2022 Winter OlympicsWinter Olympics 101: Become an expert in every sportUSA women’s hockey takes down Finland in first game at 2022 Olympics, but at a potentially significant costBrianna Decker stretchered off ice during USA vs. Finland women’s hockey gameShiffrin's late father was fixture on hill behind camera --This story also contains information from NBCOlympics.